Injured hiker rescued from Arrowsmith

A hiker with multiple injures has finally been rescued from Mount Arrowsmith after spending two nights on the mountain.

The man was airlifted to hospital in Nanaimo where is is being treated for a fractured ankle, as well as possible injuries to his collarbone and ribs, a spokesperson from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria said.

Officials from 19 Wing Comox reported that the man was evacuated from the mountain by search and rescue crews at 5 a.m. on Monday.

The airlift brought to an end a two-day ordeal that began on Saturday afternoon. Emergency personnel responded to 911 calls from a woman who said her husband was injured after falling at the 4,100 foot mark of Mount Arrowsmith, where they’d been hiking.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria dispatched a Cormorant helicopter from 19 Wing Comox to assist in the rescue. A Buffalo aircraft also joined the operation dropping flairs on the man’s location.

The Alberni Valley Search and Rescue Squad was joined by search and rescue teams from other parts of the Island, RCMP Cpl. Brady Mathison said.

SAR crews reached the man and stabilized him,. But low cloud cover caused poor visibility and dangerous helicopter operation, and thwarted several extraction attempts, and the group spent the night on the mountain.

Further attempts were made Sunday to get the man out but the terrain and weather were yet proving to be too treacherous for a successful extraction,

Bad weather continued on Sunday and steep, rough terrain also complicated rescue efforts. The Cormorant and Buffalo continued their efforts, even returning to Comox to refuel.

The weather finally cleared enough allowing the helicopter crew to land and retrieve the man, who SAR crews were finally able to carry out to a landing area.